- Advertisement - By Omar Bah The Minister of Information, Dr Ismaila Ceesay, has confirmed to The Standard yesterday that the government has given a two-year contract to the Commissioner General of the Gambia Revenue Authority, Yankuba Darboe, a few days before his statutory retirement. In response to a Standard question yesterday on whether the government will retain Mr Darboe on a contract or appoint a new commissioner general, Minister Ceesay tersely stated: “He has been given a two-year contract.” - Advertisement - During his stewardship, Yankuba Darboe has been credited with transforming GRA by introducing structural and systemic reforms, including digitalisation of systems and capacity building resulting in record revenue collections and surpassing targets set by the government annually. In 2024, GRA exceeded its target of D19.2 billion in revenue collection by over D1 billion and the authority is currently working on mobilising a new target of D23 billion for 2025 with continued focus on innovation and reforms.

- Advertisement - Ministry of Trade informs NA Committee By Arret Jatta The permanent secretary at the Ministry of Trade, Regional Integration, and Employment, Mod Secka, on Tuesday informed the National Assembly Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade that Gambian migrants participating in the circular migration agreement with Saudi Arabia are set to earn US$200 per month which is approximately D14,200. PS Secka further explained that the recruitment process involves Saudi Arabia’s Mosanet system, which has created some challenges for local agencies, adding that these agencies must be trained and granted access to the system, and as of now, only three agencies have successfully completed the required training. He also informed members that his Minister traveled to Saudi Arabia with the aim of engaging Saudi counterparts on ways to implement the agreements and address issues related to access.

- Advertisement - By Olimatou Coker Kora star Muhamadou Saho commonly known as Jali Hammay is set to launch a double album this Saturday at Bakoteh Junction Baa Event Garden. - Advertisement - Speaking to The Standard yesterday, Jali Hammay who hails from a long line of Manding griots, said he has donated 20 tickets to the members of the Gambia Organisation for the Visually Impaired, saying the gesture symbolises the inclusive nature of the event. Jali Hammay is a much sought after serenade musician who provides entertainment at UTG convocation ceremonies and other official events like last year’s Gambian of The Year Award presented by The Standard newspaper.

- Advertisement - The number of members of the organisation that aspires to become the governing body of boxing worldwide has increased to 72 countries after its Executive Committee approved this week the affiliation applications of the National Federations of Egypt, Gambia, Kiribati, and Grenada. - Advertisement - In addition to this, other signs that reveal that the Gambian and these federations enjoy a good reputation are, for example, that they have a solid boxing sports programme and that they have formal recognition from their respective National Olympic Committees or Ministries of Sport. The Olympic inclusion of this sport remains in the air after the IOC revoked in April 2023 the recognition of the International Boxing Association (IBA) as the governing body due to issues of financial transparency, governance, and integrity.

- Advertisement - Afro-Manding Rap star ST aka Brikama Boyo, performed to a soldout crowd at the launching of his eighth studio album at QCity arena on Saturday night. Saturday’s event confirmed ST’s position as The Gambia’s numero uno. A Senegalese music analyst who attended the concert said he has been to all the major concerts of Senegal’s top rap artistes and he could confidently attest that Saturday’s event was better in attendance, organisation and general entertainment.

- Advertisement - On Friday, Marina International, the top private school in the country, held its annual speech and prize-giving ceremony at the school grounds in Bakau New Town. In his statement, High School principal Emmanuel Ngeno told the students to take Marina’s core values of respect, integrity, achievement, service and empathy into the world. Together, we will build a future where every student is not just prepared for academic success, but equipped to make a meaningful difference in The Gambia and beyond,” he exhorted.

- Advertisement - By: Alieu Jallow The National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) on Thursday, February 6, 2025, is convening a day-long workshop titled “Enhancing Collaboration and Coordination Among Government Agencies, CSOs, and Humanitarian Actors Involved in Migration-Related Activities.” The event aims to bolster The Gambia’s resilience to climate shocks and address the root causes of internal and irregular migration. Delivering the keynote address on behalf of NDMA Executive Director Madam Binta Sey Jadama, Acting Administrative Director emphasized the critical need for a unified approach: “Building resilience against climate-induced challenges requires a collaborative effort,” she stated, citing that as an agency, they have witnessed firsthand the struggles of communities displaced by floods, droughts, and environmental degradation. - Advertisement - As The Gambia continues to face the challenges posed by climate change, such collaborative efforts are essential in building a resilient society capable of withstanding environmental shocks and minimizing forced migration.

- Advertisement - Donald Trump’s executive orders suspending so-called foreign aid should serve as a wake-up call for African leaders who have long relied on external assistance to drive development. The Gambia Action Party (GAP) firmly opposes any leader who continues to depend on foreign aid while neglecting the vast resources within Africa’s borders. Many African leaders misuse state resources, allowing foreign governments and institutions to control their economies through aid.

- Advertisement - By: Dawda Baldeh In an effort to tackle the growing unemployment crisis in the nation, Join Hands to Save a Baby, a humanitarian organization, has opened a modern salon, White House Salon, in Busumbala to provide free skills training for women and girls. - Advertisement - This initiative is designed to offer complimentary training in hairdressing, makeup, fashion, decoration, and other related fields for young girls and women. During the annual ceremony, the CEO of Join Hands to Save a Baby, Amie Jarju, stated that the initiative aims to reduce the unemployment rate among girls and women through skills training.

- Advertisement - By: Alieu Jallow The National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) on Thursday, February 6, 2025, is convening a day-long workshop titled “Enhancing Collaboration and Coordination Among Government Agencies, CSOs, and Humanitarian Actors Involved in Migration-Related Activities.” The event aims to bolster The Gambia’s resilience to climate shocks and address the root causes of internal and irregular migration. Delivering the keynote address on behalf of NDMA Executive Director Madam Binta Sey Jadama, Acting Administrative Director emphasized the critical need for a unified approach: “Building resilience against climate-induced challenges requires a collaborative effort,” she stated, citing that as an agency, they have witnessed firsthand the struggles of communities displaced by floods, droughts, and environmental degradation. - Advertisement - As The Gambia continues to face the challenges posed by climate change, such collaborative efforts are essential in building a resilient society capable of withstanding environmental shocks and minimizing forced migration.

- Advertisement - Donald Trump’s executive orders suspending so-called foreign aid should serve as a wake-up call for African leaders who have long relied on external assistance to drive development. The Gambia Action Party (GAP) firmly opposes any leader who continues to depend on foreign aid while neglecting the vast resources within Africa’s borders. Many African leaders misuse state resources, allowing foreign governments and institutions to control their economies through aid.

- Advertisement - By: Dawda Baldeh In an effort to tackle the growing unemployment crisis in the nation, Join Hands to Save a Baby, a humanitarian organization, has opened a modern salon, White House Salon, in Busumbala to provide free skills training for women and girls. - Advertisement - This initiative is designed to offer complimentary training in hairdressing, makeup, fashion, decoration, and other related fields for young girls and women. During the annual ceremony, the CEO of Join Hands to Save a Baby, Amie Jarju, stated that the initiative aims to reduce the unemployment rate among girls and women through skills training.

Gambiaj.com – (BANJUL, The Gambia) – Pa Fansu Darboe, the former Chief Executive Officer of the Kuntaur Area Council (KAC), has admitted to flouting procurement regulations, approving unauthorized financial practices, and inflating budget figures during his testimony before a commission of inquiry. When pressed by Gomez on whether KAC followed procurement regulations, Darboe admitted, “No, we were not following the procurement processes.” In a further admission of financial irregularities, Darboe disclosed that he authorized revenue collectors to make direct payments from collected funds before depositing them into the council’s bank account—an explicit violation of financial regulations. Commission Chairperson Jainaba Bah questioned Darboe on why the council projected revenue of 17 million dalasi in one year despite having collected only six million the previous year.

“The only thing we take a certain satisfaction from is that everything we said turned out to be true,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a weekly briefing, referring to Moscow’s longstanding criticism of the agency. “It is a machine for interfering in internal affairs; it is a mechanism for changing regimes, political order, and state structure.” The aid arm of U.S. foreign policy, USAID, funded health and emergency programs as well as democracy promotion initiatives in around 120 countries, including the world’s poorest regions. Musk has called USAID “a viper’s nest of radical-left Marxists who hate America.” Trump said last week it was being run by a “bunch of radical lunatics.” The assault on the agency has drawn a swift backlash from aid groups.

Gambiaj.com – (DAKAR, Senegal) – A Dakar court has rejected a request to strip former Senegalese Prime Minister Amadou Ba and former Budget Minister Birima Mangara of their parliamentary immunity, dealing a blow to efforts by the public prosecutor to pursue legal action against them. Amadou Ba, who served as prime minister under former President Macky Sall and was the ruling coalition’s unsuccessful candidate in the March 2024 presidential election, is reportedly implicated in a case related to the expropriation of land for public use. “Freedom of expression is not negotiable,” he declared, condemning the “arbitrary and unjustified arrests of political opponents.” He also denounced the recent revocation of Barthélemy Dias’s mandate as mayor of Dakar, calling it “a serious attack on the popular will and the very foundation of local democracy.” Ba’s remarks signal his continued role as a vocal opposition figure in Senegalese politics, even as legal and political uncertainties loom over his future.

Currently facing imminent and genuine threats made by the U.S. President, affected Gambians told The Point that they are “worried and anxious” that the “mass deportations of immigrants presently taking place would have a negative effect on the entire Gambian community”. Even though most of the concerned Gambians are law abiding citizens with longstanding record of hard work, loyalty and steadfastness, President Trump and his team believe that immigrants are currently “posing a major security th

Some 300 displaced families risk finding themselves homeless with this decision by US President Donald Trump, noted the mayor of Boutoupa-Camaracounda, Ousmane Sandeng, a locality that was heavily hit by the crisis in Casamance. "The suspension of USAID support programs does not help displaced populations returning to Casamance. For example, there is the "Shelter for Life" program, which ran a support project for 300 families. They are now threatened with being homeless. These are vulnerable fa

The project, worth USD16,000 approximately D1,136,000m, was implemented by the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) Banjul Office. The project included replacement of the roof and ceiling; painting of internal and external walls; creating vegetable gardening; football field for sports activities- as well as providing tools and equipment for the hobby areas (ranging from tailoring, batik making, arts and board games). In his overview of the project, Lamin Dibba, programme officer,